Aerial mail exchange



Dec. 27, 1938. ,R. l. KELTON AERIAL MAIL EXCHANGE Filed July 22/1936 3 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORN EYS R. l. KELT O N AERIAL MAIL EXCHANGE Dec. 27, 193$.-

s Sh eets-Sheet 2 Filed July' 22, 1936 ATTOR N EYS Dec; 27, 1938. v

R. I. KELTON AERIAL MAIL EXCHANGE Filed July 22, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNIEYS change and more expecially to a pick-up and Patented Dec. 27, 1938 I v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. A

2 Claims.

. The invention relates to an aerial mail exdelivery apparatus for air mail. {I The primary object of the invention is vision of an apparatus of this character, wherein there is arranged on an aircraft a pick-up device, this operating with a ground station for the picking up of mail therefrom while the aircraft is also equipped with a delivery device for the deposit of mail from the aircraft into a receiving basket at a ground station and in this fashion while the aircraft is in flight mail can be exchanged between the ground station and the said craft, the'devices being of novel construction.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of this character, wherein mail between a ground station and an aircraft in flight can be conveniently exchanged or transferred from one to the other without any interference in the flight of such plane and avoiding the necessityof a manual duty imposed upon the operator of the plane for effecting such exchange other than the proper piloting of the craft for effecting the exchange of mail.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an'apparatus of this character which is comparatively simple in its construction, readily and easily operated, thoroughly reliable and eiiicient in its functioning, andinexpensive to manufacture and'install.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction,

combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose the" preferred embodiment of the invention and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In .the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation of the aircraft showing the same in flight and in a position for the picking up of mail from a ground station by the appara-' tusconstructed in accordance with the invention. Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the ground station showing pick-up mail supported thereby.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal the prosuch device.

sectional view through the aircraft showing the pick-up device in position for the picking up of mail from the ground station.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of w 5 Figure 5 is a perspective view of the pick-up "hook thereof.

Figure 6 is a sectional view on-the line 6-6 of Figure 4 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view on the 10.

of Figure8 looking in the direction of the ar- 30' rows.

\ Figure 12 is a side elevation partly in section of a mail receiving .basket showing in elevation an aircraft in position for the dropping of mail thereinto..

Figure 13 is a top plan view of the basket. I Figure 14 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view through the aircraft showing the mail delivery device thereof.

Figure 15 is a fragmentary vertical sectional 30 view through the delivery device showing it in releasing position for mail. I

Figure 16 is a vertical sectional view through the'mail pouch for, the receiving and delivery or exchange of mail between an aircraft and a sta- 35 tion.

Figure 17 is a detail fragmentary sectional view showing the coupling ring of the pouch for the mail delivery device disclosed in Figures 14 and 15.

Similar reference characters indicate corre- 0 sponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A designates generally an aircraft of any conventional .type and B a ground station, respectively, the lat- 45 ter can be arranged on a ground foundation'or upon the roof of a building. This station B coinprises a pair of spaced perpendicular hollow masts or poles III which are suitably anchored in place, and rigidly held by tie cables H and I2, respectively, while journaled near the upper ends of these masts or poles and alsoclose to the foundation or roof supporting such masts or poles are guide pulleys 13 over which are trained cables 14, these at their lower ends being adapted to be II wound on and from a Windlass or drum l5 journaled in a stand l6 beneath a platform I]. The

- upper ends of the cables it are connected to carriages i8, eachhaving rollers IQ for traction upon the companion mast or pole In, These carriages |8 travel up and .down upon said masts or poles ill by the winding of the cables M on and from the Windlass IS, the latter being rotated from a hand crank at one side of the stand i8. This crank 20 is conveniently situated for the manual control thereof by an operator when upon the foundation or roof supporting the masts or poles. v The carriages ill have rotatably fitted therein hook-like hangers 2| to be engaged by a suspension loop 22 supporting a pick-up pouch or mail bag 23. The loop being also adapted as a pick-up cable for the transfer of mail from the station B to the aircraft A in a manner presently described.

The hook-like hangers 2| are adapted for adjustment to let off freely the pick-up loop 22 from gear 21 meshing with a pinion 28 flxedto a stud shaft 28 for a turn wheel 30 which is located outside of each mast o'r pole Ill and such wheel is hand operated for regulating the position of the pointer or indicator 25 at the top of each mast or pole. Thepurpose of the pointers orarrows 25 is to indicate to an aircraft operator the positioning of the hangers 2| for the letting off of pickup mail to either side of the station B andthus such operator of the aircraft can properly direct his flight for the pick-up of mail at the station from either; side thereof according to the indication of the pointers or arrows 25, these being set manually as before stated.

Exteriorly of the aircraft A at the bottomof its fuselage is a pick-up device 0 comprising a swinging pick-up arm 3| hinged at 32 for swingwhich is connected a cable 38 adapted to be I wound on-and unwound froma Windlass or drum i of the fuselage of the aircraft for the receiving 38 carried in a stand 88 interiorly'of the fuselage of the aircraft A. This cable 38 permits the hook 36 to be raised or lowered and when in lowered of the pouch 23 within the latter.

The arm- 3| when the same is swung to a sus pended perpendicular position can be folded or swung inwardly with-respect to the fuselage of the aircraft A through a cable 4| attached at 42 to said arm 3| and also adapted to be wound on or way 53 to the point or place of deposit.

and unwoundfrom a Windlass 43 in a stand it interiorly of the aircraft A, the Windlass 43 being controlled by a manually operated-handle 48.

Arranged at the-bottom of the fuselage of the aircraft A is a latch 46 .which is manually con- 5 trolled by a lever 41 and is adapted to fasten the arm 3| 'when inwardly folded next to the bottom of the fuselage of the aircraft. This folded position of the arm 3|renders the pick-up device inoperative.

On releasing the arm 3| from the latch 46 the latter under its weight will gravitate to a depending perpendicular position beneath "the fuselage of the aircraft A to assume a pick-up position and this arm when in said position is latched by 15 a releasable brace 48 to avoid accidental foldiig of the arm and defeating the pick-up operation. thereof. As has been indicated the arm when depending from the fuselage and on assuming a pick-up position the hook 88 will engage with the '20 loop 22 of the pouch or bag 23 while the aircraft A is in flight so that mail matter from the sta tion B can be picked up'and' received in the aircraft while in flight.

The carriages 8 riding on the masts or poles 15 I0 will permit the loop 22 when suspended fronf the hangers 2| to be elevated the desired distance at the station B so that such loop and its pouch or bag. can be picked up by an aircraft when in flight on the setting of the pick-up device thereon.

The platform I! is for the purpose of convenience in the placing rof the loop 22 with the pouch or bag23 thereon upon the hangers 2| when the carriages have been lowered on the 35 masts or poles l0 and such carriages II! when raised on the masts or poles will position the loop 22 and its pouch or bag 23 at the proper elevation for the pick-up of the same.

At the station B particularly upon the roof 0 of a building is arranged a receiving basket D having a concaved netted bottom 48 and vertical netted sides 50, respectively, the opposite ends 5| being closed and netted while at an intermediate 'point' of the bottom for communication ,with the 5 basket D is a throat 52 leading into a spiral chute 53 within a tubular column which with the Y chute 53 opens into a place of deposit so that mail delivered from an aircraft in flight can be conveyed to this point or place of deposit from with- 50 in the basket D, the delivery of the mail to the latter being hereinafter fully described. The closed ends 5| of the basket D prevent the mail pouch from bounding out of such basket and thus positive catching of the pouch can be assured. 55

The mail when within a pouch or bag on the dropping of the latter into the basket D will be caused'to gravitate to and through the throat 52 and thence be carried down the spiral chute On the aircraft A is a mail delivery device E comprising a straight shiftable tube 55 slidable in a carrier sleeve 58 which is hinged at 51 to the top of the fuselage of the aircraft A whereby r the tube 5.5 can be swung to an upright position 5 or inwardly against the top of the fuselage of the craft A, the latter position'being the normal disposition of said tube while the upright position is that for the delivery of mail from the aircraft of said craft. The tube 55 at the delivery end -2,141,eae

thereof has pivoted thereto agrapple-like latch 59 operated from a link toggle controlled by a shift rod interiorly of said tube 55 and this grapple-likelatch 59 releasably fastens a coupling ring 52 on and about the tube 55, the ring being attached to a mail pouch or bag 63 and is provided with a slidable opening and closing jaw 54 so that said ring can be conveniently placed loosely about the tube55 or removed therefrom when the grapple-like latch 59 is in latching position. Thus it will be seen that any number of pouches 'or bags 53 for carrying mail can be loosely engaged or carried upon the tube 55 fordelivery by. the delivery device-E, there being several pouches or bags'carried by the said device as is shown in Figure 12 of the drawings.

when the tube 55 is wearing one'or several of the pouches or bags 53 for its or their delivery it is, of course, understood that the tube 55 has been shifted from the position folded onto the top through an actuator 55 for the control rod iii and this actuatoris manually operated and is carried at the end oi. thetube 55. remote from the latch 59, being accessible through the opening 58 to an operator interiorly of the aircraft A.

The pouelkor bag 23 is of spherical shape and is formed in separable or hingedly connected half globe form, although it may be of any other con struction ortype.

By the devices in the aircraft A and at the station B mailimatter can be exchanged between the aircraft and said station while the craft is in alight and'without interference with the flight ereoi'.

The mail matter is picked up from the station B for reception by the aircraft A while in flight while the mail matter to be delivered from the latter to the station B is dropped by the device E into the basket D whence it will be deposited at a determined place or point through the-way 53 in the chute 54.

The arm 5| of the device C gives the prope reach to the hook 35 when it is required to pick 'up' mail from the station B for reception in the aircraft A when in flight.

What is claimed is: y v 1. In combination with an aircraft having a ing pick-up arm having a longitudinal guideway therein, a plurality of slides fitting said guideway.

a hook having a shank fixed to said slides andterminating in 'an eye, a cable trained through ing pick-up arm having a longitudinal guideway the eye, a Windlass interiorly of thefuselage for fuselage, of a pick-up device comprising a swing- 4 the winding and unwinding of the cable on and from the same and this cable having its other end fixed to said Windlass, and means for operating the arm to fold the same against the fuselage or unfold it away :7 om said fuselage, the hook beingextendedforwardly of the arm and outside of the guide way therein.

2. In combination with an aircraft having a fuselage, of a pick-up device'comprising a swinging pick-up arm having a longitudinal guldeway therein, a plurality of slides fitting said guideway. a hook having a shank fixed to said slides and terminating in an eye, a cable trained through the guideway and having its outer end fixed to the eye, a Windlass ihteriorly of the fuselage for from the same and this cable having its other end fixed to said Windlass, and an adjustable cable connected with said arm' and operated from within the fuselage said am.

. I. KEY-TON.

for the unfolding and folding of v the winding and unwinding of the cable on and a 

